Minister avoids sack after alcohol, expenses scandals

New South Wales finance minister Greg Pearce has avoided the sack after being found to have breached ministerial travel guidelines and admitting to drinking while at work.

Premier Barry O'Farrell has instead sent Mr Pearce on a month's personal leave four days before the state budget is due to be delivered, to deal with stress and exhaustion.

A report by the head of the Premier's department, Chris Eccles, found Mr Pearce breached ministerial travel guidelines by using a government contracted travel agency to book a private trip to Canberra, benefitting by $200 in the process.

But Mr O'Farrell described it as a minor breach and says Mr Pearce will pay the money back.

Flanked by the premier, a stony faced Mr Pearce faced the media for the first time since the scandals broke and said his behaviour in parliament was caused by exhaustion but exacerbated by alcohol consumption.

He apologised for using taxpayer funds to book a personal trip and described the last two weeks as the worst of his professional life.

In that time, he was accused of being drunk during parliamentary debate, misusing his ministerial travel allowance and not properly disclosing his financial interests.

A doctor for Mr Pearce said he did not have an alcohol dependency problem.

State Opposition Leader John Robertson says Mr O'Farrell's decision makes a mockery of his promise to uphold high standards.

"I think it's just a pathetic response from a premier who isn't serious about another of the promises that he's now breaking," Mr Robertson said.

Mr O'Farrell denied he was displaying double standards by refusing to sack Mr Pearce; he says he is still holding his ministers to a high standard.

"Whether it's a person who has stolen $200 or $2 million, the community expects proportionate penalties to deal with stress and exhaustion issues," Mr O'Farrell said.

Labor MLC Walt Secord described the terms of reference of Mr Eccles's investigation as incredibly narrow, given the number of allegations stacked up against Mr Pearce.